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Google's Got (Your) Game: Search for Fun Online is All in the Wordplay

Posted on: Thursday, 16 February 2006, 18:00 CST

By Patrick Giblin, The Modesto Bee, Calif.

Feb. 16--Have some time to waste? Turn to Google.

Google, www.google.com, typically is used by Internet junkies as a great way to quickly find Web pages on specific topics.

It's considered so good that the name has become a verb: To "Google" something means to run a word or phrase through the Google database of Internet pages.

That amazing database also has become the foundation for a number of games and other time-consuming activities.

A Google representative said the company is pleased that its service is used as a form of amusement.

The goal is to give users information when and where they want it, the representative said. If users have found a way to turn information- gathering into a game, she said, Google embraces it.

She added that one of her favorite Google games is "Googlewhack," and workers at Google's Mountain View headquarters enjoy The Image Quiz.

Here is a partial list of Google games and activities: -- GoogleBattle -- www.googlebattle.com. Put in two different names, phrases or terms and run a search simultaneously. The phrases have to be related, such as two types of food or political opponents. The winner is the word or phrase found on the most Web pages. This game lets players see the pages found for each word.

-- Googlefight -- www.googlefight.com. Similar to GoogleBattle, but it has two animated stick-figure men fighting it out while the search is conducted.

It doesn't show the pages that were found, however, just the number of Web site hits.

-- Googlewhack -- www.googlewhack.com. Submit a query using two words, but don't use quote marks or numbers. The words must be recognized in an online dictionary. The person who can find a combination of words that results in only one hit wins. Complete rules are on the Web site.

-- The Image Quiz -- http://blog.outer-court.com/quiz. The game begins when the Web page runs a search for a secret phrase. Then it shows the top dozen photographs it found and asks the player to figure out what search phrase it used. Points are awarded based on how long it takes to guess the phrase.

-- Googlism -- www.googlism.com. Enter a word such as a name, place or thing.

It pulls up random sentences found on the Internet with that word or words in it. Not a game, this is just something to do.

-- Stump Google. This game originally was known as "Stump Netscape" when that company had the best search engine on the Internet. It's a game for two or more people. The rules are simple: Each person comes up with a legitimate word, term or phrase and runs a search. The words must be spelled correctly and must refer to something real. The person who gets the fewest results wins.

-- The vanity search. Search for your name and check out the results.

-- The birthday search. This is one of the most popular activities, according to Google staff. Enter a birthday in Google and see the results.

-- The arrested game. Enter a first name followed by the phrase "was arrested for" all in quote marks (For example: "John was arrested for").

Then try not to laugh too loud when the results pop up.

GOT GAME?

Staff members of The Modesto Bee came up with a list of local names and terms to play in a game of GoogleBattle (www.googlebattle.com).

The search phrases are displayed as they were entered in the game. The results are not scientific: -- Gallo Winery vs. Bronco Winery -- Both are among the largest wine companies in the world and both are in Stanislaus County. The winner: Gallo with 509,000 to Bronco's 43,800. Why? Most likely, people refer to "Two Buck Chuck" and not "Bronco" when discussing Bronco wines. Also, Gallo has been the focus of several books, has been mentioned in a number of movies and frequently is mentioned in news stories about the wine industry.

-- Modesto A's vs. Modesto Nuts -- The old name versus the new name for Modesto's minor league baseball team. The winner: Modesto Nuts with 188,000 to the Modesto A's 120,000. Why? When the team changed its name, it made national news.

-- Modesto vs. Stockton -- Stockton has a port and paid $1 million to hear Neil Diamond sing. Modesto has the Modesto Reservoir and heard Carol Channing sing for free at the 2004 and 2005 Concerts in the Park. The winner: Stockton with 28 million to Modesto's 14.1 million. Why? Stockton is larger and has more Web pages than Modesto. Also, a search of the results show that Stockton is a common last name in some parts of the country.

-- Modesto, Calif., vs. Modesto, Ill. -- Two towns named Modesto -- one in California and the other in Illinois. The winner: Modesto, Calif., with 3.2 million to Modesto, Ill., with 3.1 million. Why? The numbers are close, but a quick look at the results show that many of the Web pages found in the Modesto, Ill., search were written by residents of Modesto, Calif. -- which is much larger than its Midwestern cousin.

-- Stan State vs. UOP -- We used the common nicknames for these two universities just for the heck of it. The winner: Stan State with 14.7 million to UOP's 1.3 million. Why? A review of the returns showed that there are a lot of guys named Stan with Web sites.

-- Modesto Junior College vs. Delta College -- Both campuses offer programs for certificates and associate's degrees, but one is in Modesto and the other is in Stockton. The winner: Delta by a long shot, with 17 million to MJC's 501,000. Why? Delta is a word used in fraternity names, is the name of an airline and is the nickname for part of the lower Mississippi River.

Also, most people write "MJC," not Modesto Junior College on their Web pages.

-- Downey High School vs. Davis High School -- This is probably one of the longest-running high school rivalries in Modesto. The winner: Davis High School by a long shot, with 36.9 million to Downey's 1.8 million. Why? There are many schools with Davis in their names in the United States.

-- Gary Condit vs. Dennis Cardoza -- The former congressman against the one who replaced him. The winner: Gary Condit with 362,000. Cardoza had 338,000.

Why? Condit was frequently mentioned in news stories in connection to the Chandra Levy homicide case.

-- Carmen Sabatino vs. Jim Ridenour -- The past mayor against the present mayor. The winner: Jim Ridenour with a landslide 698,000 to Sabatino's 42,000. Why? Jim and Ridenour are more common names than Carmen and Sabatino.

-- Grandaddy vs. Flying Blind -- Two popular Northern San Joaquin Valley rock bands. Both have split up in the past few months. The winner: Flying Blind with 6.7 million to Grandaddy's 2.5 million. Why? Flying Blind is also the name of a popular book, a television show and a movie.

-- Modesto Irrigation District vs. Turlock Irrigation District -- TID has more territory. MID has more customers. The winner: Modesto Irrigation District with 152,000 to Turlock Irrigation District's 45,600. Why? Since MID services more people, it probably gets mentioned more often on personal Web sites.

-- Water vs. Wealth. OK, this was just plain silly. The winner: Water with 998 million hits to wealth's 116 million. Why? Water is easier to find than wealth.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Modesto Bee, Calif.

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GOOG,

Source: The Modesto Bee

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